Durham Innovation District Breaks Ground on New Downtown Tech and Research Buildings

(Research Triangle, NC) -- March 16, 2017 -- Mayor Bill Bell and County Commission Chair Wendy Jacobs joined leaders from the NC Department of Commerce, Duke University and Longfellow Real Estate Partners today to break ground on two landmark new office and research buildings that form the Southern Gateway of the Durham Innovation District (aka Durham.ID).

Fast facts:-The buildings – focused primarily on office and technology use, but also including retail and restaurants – will be located on Morris Street between Hunt and Roney in what is currently a large parking lot.-Each building – known as 200 Morris (to be occupied by the Duke Clinical Research Institute) and 300 Morris – will reach seven stories, together totaling nearly 350,000 square feet. Renderings are available here. -A new eight-story, architecturally screened parking deck will be constructed behind the buildings, accessible from the south and east sides of Roney Street, accommodating approximately 1,200 vehicles. The deck will offer supplemental public parking for community events and the adjacent Downtown Durham Farmers' Market.-Longfellow and its partners expect to complete construction during the summer of 2018.

The buildings - under construction led by Barnhill Contracting - mark an important milestone for the award-winning Durham.ID, a 15-acre research hub and live-work-play campus that connects dynamic neighborhoods on the west side of the Bull City’s thriving downtown.

To date, execution of the master plan has primarily involved the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, such as the transformation of Carmichael Warehouse into the Triangle’s first urban located Class-A lab building, and of the 1916 Imperial Building into the sleek home of the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative. 200 and 300 Morris are new buildings with a mission to further accommodate the burgeoning demand of innovative tenants in downtown Durham.

Research

Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), the largest academic research organization in the world, has signed a lease to occupy all 160,000 square feet of the office space in 200 Morris.

The DCRI conducts multinational clinical trials, manages major national patient registries and performs outcomes research. DCRI research spans multiple disciplines, from pediatrics to geriatrics, primary care to subspecialty medicine, and genomics to proteomics. With its new location in 200 Morris, DCRI will consolidate operations adjacent to its other offices in the center of innovation activity in downtown.

Longfellow is well along in the process of marketing the remaining 150,000 square feet of office and 20,000 square feet of retail available in 300 Morris, focusing on technology and innovation based enterprises ranging from fast growing start-ups to full building tenants.

Design

Architects from Durham’s Duda|Paine were chosen to design Durham.ID’s new buildings. The firm is headquartered just steps away from the building site, giving its architects unique insight into a project that is further energizing the growth and dynamism of downtown Durham. Design highlights include:

-The building’s design responds to its industrial warehouse context while using innovative materials, such as metal panels and high performance glass, which speak to the the Innovation District’s forward-thinking vision.-A shared plaza between the buildings connects to Morris Green, which will remain a permanent open space on the corner of Fernway Avenue and Morris Street.-Along Morris, considered Durham.ID’s ‘Main Street,’ a continuous arcade with ground floor retail will engage the street and nurture a lively pedestrian environment.-The project is being designed to U.S. Green Building Building Council LEED Silver standards, seeking innovative solutions to improve our environment and the community.

Quote from Longfellow Real Estate Partners

“With the start of construction on the elegant 200 and 300 Morris buildings, Longfellow is full speed ahead on bringing the innovation cluster in downtown Durham to full fruition. By providing the places where talent can work, live and play, companies and people will continue to thrive here as our city centers become ever more vibrant. We are thankful for the support of the City, the County, our partners and our neighbors in making sure this project enhances the Bull City experience.”

Adam Sichol, Managing Partner, Longfellow Real Estate Partners

Quote from Duke Clinical Research Institute

“We are delighted to be the core tenant for 200 Morris and consolidate our operations in the center of innovation in Durham. By expanding our footprint here, we are demonstrating DCRI’s commitment to making downtown an engine for growth and development.”

Eric Peterson, Executive Director, DCRI

Quote from Duda|Paine Architects

“Durham.ID has extra meaning for everyone at Duda|Paine. It has given us the opportunity to design for our own neighborhood, to create a building we will see every day on our way to and from work. The project’s master plan transforms this part of the city, making it more pedestrian-friendly and retail-oriented, with Morris Street becoming the spine for an entire district. This first building sets a dynamic precedent for the future and shapes the community experience in Durham.”

Sanjeev Patel, AIA, Principal and Design Director at Duda|Paine

Quote from Measurement Incorporated

"Since first moving to downtown Durham in 1993, MI has continued to expand and stimulate development in downtown. As an educational testing company, we maintain our headquarters in four buildings in downtown including three renovated historic buildings. We have been amazed at the transformation of the downtown area through the years. Durham.ID is another evolutionary step in that development and we are proud to be partners with Longfellow, Duke University and Duke Clinical Research Institute to make this happen."

Longfellow Real Estate Partners serves the unique demands of science and technology companies and focuses on the most innovative cluster locations in the US. The firm acquires and develops facilities in strategic locations and builds long-term relationships with research-centric organizations including life science companies, universities, medical centers and research institutes. The principals of Longfellow have developed more than 3.5 million square feet of laboratory and high tech space over their careers including numerous high profile projects on the East Coast. The Company’s institutional capabilities and entrepreneurial vision enables Longfellow to deliver high quality laboratories and innovation space while satisfying each tenant’s unique requirements.

About Duda|Paine Architects

Duda|Paine Architects provides a full complement of design, interior design, architectural, planning and master planning services to a diverse array of international and national corporate, academic, wellness and cultural arts clients. The firm’s enduring success results from an idea-based design process that engages participants and fosters inspiration to achieve visionary built work. For additional information, please call Sarah Hernandez at (919) 688-5133, shernandez@dudpaaine.com, or visit http://www.dudapaine.com.

About Measurement Incorporated

Founded in 1980, Measurement Incorporated TM (MI) is an employee-owned corporation and leading provider of customized educational assessment services for state governments, other testing companies, and various organizations. Since its founding, MI continues to uphold its reputation as an industry leader in providing performance assessment scoring services, developing assessment methodologies, and providing innovative solutions for all testing needs.